154: Small Ship Cruising, Beyond the Big Ships

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Do you think cruises are all about the mega ships that are floating cities on the sea? There are actually so many other ways to cruise. This week we chat with Dana Freeman about small ship cruising including river cruises, small ship ocean cruises, barge cruises, and even sailing ships. Don’t worry, we also chat about a few of the newer big ships too so you can decide what is right for your next cruise.

ON THE PODCAST

00:30 – Talking with Kim and Tamara about cruises

03:35 – Talking with Dana

06:45 – River cruise

10:15 – Ocean cruise

15:18 – Barge ships

21:40 – Comparing large cruises with small ships

27:18 – Dana’s favorite way to cruise

28:30 – Tips for picking your cruise

33:28 – Dana’s favorite travel gear

34:20 – Coming up for Dana

36:00 – Shout out!

ABOUT DANA FREEMAN

Dana is originally from New York City but has been calling Vermont home for the last 20 years. She a freelance journalist and the editor behind Dana Freeman Travels. Dana is a luxury travel writer specializing in small ship cruises and places found on the road less traveled. Her work has been featured in CNN Travel, Porthole Magazine, Thrillist, Yankee Magazine, the Forbes Travel Guide and several other print and digital publications.

Follow Dana on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

TIPS FOR TRAVELING ON A SMALL CRUISE

There is more to cruising that your typical large cruise ships. There are river, barge, windjammer, small ocean cruises and more. Both barge and river cruises will take you to different spots inside the country rather than ocean cruise that can only take you to areas on the coast.
River cruises average under a hundred passengers. They will normally pull up to the center of a city rather than having to get a shuttle from the port that an ocean cruise will stop at.
You will find that most river cruises have balconies so that you can see the sights go by. You will also sometimes find mini golf and a track on the boat. Unlike an ocean cruise, you will be spending most of your time during the day off of the boat.
Small ship ocean cruises that will carry around three hundred passengers seem to have a choice of some vastly different ports to stop in rather that your large cruises that have two thousand or more passengers. You will also find that you will blend in more in a small cruise port rather than a large cruise port.
Barge ships are more personal. You can book the whole barge with family or friends. But you can also book with a company and you will be paired with another couple or another family. Depending on the type of traveler you are this option can turn out to be the best way to meet and make friends with others while you travel.
Barge cruising travels at a more leisurely pass in the early mornings rather than a river cruise, which will travel at night. The barge will only move about 4 miles per hour. Because of this you will actually have some opportunities to walk or bike alongside the ship. Then after lunch you will have a tour guide come and take you around the area.
Large cruise ships will have a lot more options when it comes to food. Large cruises also have more entertainment options like shows, laser tag, pools and more.
When booking a cruise, you should think about the age of your group and what the stops will offer. You should also look at what ships offers for amenities rather than picking your cruise by the boat.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Dana loves her Lululemon cropped leggings. They are comfortable, have pockets and can be dressed up or down.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Barge Ladies

Barge Cruise 101

Dana Freeman Cruise Experiences

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If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email at podcast@vacationmavens.com. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!

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